


Just Like Heaven

by pyrrhum



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, FatT Rarepair Swap, First Dates, a somewhat modern earth au but still sci fi, romcom type miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 18:56:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14817003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyrrhum/pseuds/pyrrhum
Summary: Jacqui started working at the coffee shop to have something normal and, well, that's the opposite of what she'll get.





	Just Like Heaven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lady_mab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_mab/gifts).



> My FatT Rarepair Swap for lil-miss-banana! Sorry its later than it should be...i sent u that tumblr ask...dogsitting and such...i hope you like enjoy some feel good, romcom situation, coffee au aria/jacqui.

_spinnin' on that dizzy edge_  
_kissed her face and kissed her hair_  
 _and dreamed of all the different ways_  
 _i had to make her glow  
_ _.._

Jacqui Green never thought she would end up with a job at a coffee shop, let alone working for anyone besides herself, but if that’s what it took to pay the bills and keep the Feds off her back for a little, then she wasn’t going to complain.

Well, that was a lie. She was absolutely going to complain.

Her typical shift, at a typical coffee shop, lasted from nine p.m. to five a.m., which allowed her to only deal with the customers that were as bad as her, and then sleep during the day and avoid anyone else. A handful of hacked security cameras also allowed her to do a few back alley deals on the side, for a lifestyle that the bare minimum pay at Constellation Cafe did not allow her to upkeep. The owner, Orth Godlove, didn’t seem to mind. As long as the place didn’t get robbed, which Jacqui also prevented.

Still, today, she is _not_ covering her typical shift; instead filling in for employee blunder of the month, Ted—last name unknown and every discarded nametag and time sheet proclaiming Lazer Ted. Jacqui had asked him about this, once, and he just laughed and said, “Yeah,” so she politely dropped the subject.

In the sunlight, another customers shambles away, shaking just slightly after being handled a delicate foam cup of coffee by a seven-foot-tall, metal-armed undercover hitman with a polite nametag. Jacqui remembers then why she didn’t often take shifts that involve any ounce of daylight. She tended to scare customers away.

“Hey, Jacqui, the decaf grounds need refilling, I’m gonna go grab some from the back,” Mako says.

“Sure,” is Jacqui’s curt reply.

It’s not that she doesn’t like Mako Trig, because, well, she actually likes him quite a lot. He was just absolutely insufferable at the worst of times—actually, scratch that. Most of the time. He is insufferable most of the time. But he’s damn funny while doing it, and Jacqui always appreciates a good amount of humor.

The next two customers in line are chatting and not noticing that the line had moved along, which ranked number three of Jacqui’s list of pet peeves of working here. But there were people around, security cameras running, and she couldn’t break another table strong-arming someone who wasn’t paying attention, so she clears her throat to get their attention instead.

“Excuse me? You’re next in line, buddy,” she adds, for good measure.

Again, she isn’t exactly cut out for a customer service job.

The next person in line, who has a long braid of brown hair over their shoulder, turns to look at her with eyebrows raised. “Ex- _cuse_ me,” they scoff, stepping forward, and Jacqui forces a customer-service smile on her face. They are Apostolisian, telltale from their blue skin, which is a different blue color from their hospital scrubs.

Apostolisians were nothing new history-wise, but their recent surfacing on the planet had caused some kind of uproar. Aliens weren’t anything new, either, everyone was long past the point of knowing, duh, of course they existed. But the Apostolisians were the first to ever seek refuge, thousands of them landing in a space ship but claiming to have originated from Earths’ oceans and the ancient city of Atlantic. But because they could not provide a location for such lost city, this could not be proven in any capacity, so they were officially classified as space aliens and allowed to integrate into Earth’s society.

Some people have problems with them. Jacqui has none. Except for perhaps this one that didn’t seem to be paying attention to the line moving. 

“Uh, I’ll take a large coffee, extra foam, salted,” they say.

As Jacqui scrawls the order onto the side of the so-called biodegradable cup—“Salted? Did you say salted?” she repeats with a raised eyebrow, to which the Apostolisian responds with an annoyed huff and a nod—Mako sweeps in and snatches the cup from Jacqui’s metal hands.

“The usual, Cass? I gotcha! Just ring them up for a normal large coffee, Jacqui,” Mako calls over his shoulder as he begins to make the order.

“Right. Sure. Five-twenty-three,” Jacqui says, punching some buttons on the register.

“Five-twenty-three? Sheesh, when did Constellation decide to get expensive?” they mutter under their breath, putting their card through the chip reader, then dutifully stepping aside to where Mako is making their order. 

Jacqui’s autopilot, “Next,” catches in her throat.

Because the woman next in line looks a helluva lot like Aria Joie.

And she is _smiling_ at her.

(To say Jacqui is an Aria Joie fan was a bit of understatement).

“Um.” _Words, Jacqui, you can use your words!_ “What can I get you?”

“I haven’t seen you here before,” the stunning Aria Joie (lookalike? Jacqui couldn’t tell, lots of people walked around looking like Aria Joie nowadays) says, her voice is like a chime. Perfectly tuned to whatever she has to say, apparently not just for singing.

“I, um, I work nights, usually,” Jacqui manages to get out.

“Sure. I’m just so used to seeing Lazer Ted this time of the morning, but you’re a more than welcome surprise,” she replies with a stunning smile, and—and a _wink_.

Good lord. Jacqui is going to combust.

“I’ll have a large caramel frappuccino with extra whipped cream, if you don’t mind?” she continues.

“No, no, not at all—I mean, of course, yes, that’s not a problem, at all, is what I meant,” Jacqui stammers, blushing, looking down to hit the correct buttons on the register. “S-Six-thirty-three.”

“Hey, Aria! I’ve got your usual over here, too!” Mako calls from farther down the counter.

Jacqui’s heart skips a beat, or several, because, did Mako just say Aria?

“Thanks, Mako!” And Aria turns back to Jacqui, still smiling her dazzling smile, and hands her a ten. A moment later, Jacqui hands her back her change. “Thanks. Have a great day. I hope I see you soon,” she says with another wink, then walks over to join her Apostolisian companion, who is chatting with Mako.

 

The moment their aprons are off and their shift officially over, Jacqui corners Mako in one of the back rooms.

“Those two from earlier. The Apostolisian and their friend who looked like Aria Joie. Do they come here often?” Jacqui interrogates, her shadow entirely eclipsing Mako.

But, to his credit, Mako does not flinch, nor tremble. He just gets a stupid smirk on his face. “Every morning, same time.”

With a nod, Jacqui turns and begins to walk away.

“Why do you wanna know?” Mako calls after her.

Jacqui doesn’t respond. He would know soon.

 

Because the next morning, Jacqui corners Lazer Ted right before he clocks in.

And he _does_ tremble.

“You are going to switch shifts with me,” she says in the same tone of voice she usually saves for _you will give me the information I want_. “Until further notice. Okay?”

“S-Sure thing, Jacqui,” Lazer Ted stutters out. “You know, I n-need the daylight to work on my, my, my tracks, you know? This, this is just a side gig, and—”

Jacqui puts a hand, as large as his bicep, on his shoulder, and gives him a well-meaning and not at all comforting pat. “Thanks, Ted. Knew you would understand.”

 

Mako’s eyebrows go past his hairline when Jacqui walks in, apron on, five minutes later.

“You switch with Ted again?”

“Yep.”

“For how long?”

“As long as I want.”

Mako nods slowly, then a little faster. “Cool. I’m sure Orth will love you scaring away the customers.”

 

This time, Jacqui is ready.

“Large caramel frapp, extra whipped cream, right?” she says, as soon Aria goddamn Joie approaches the counter

She laughs. “Yes! You’re back.”

“I am,” Jacqui says with a smile. “What name do I put on the cup?”

But her plan doesn’t work, because Aria Joie just says, “Don’t worry, Mako knows its me,” and then hands her a ten.

Thinking fast, Jacqui scribbles her own cell number on the cup, then passes it down the counter, grabbing the money.

“Hey, would you two stop flirting and hurry up? I’m on a schedule, here!” the Apostolisian behind her complains loudly.

Aria scoffs but smiles. “Whatever, Cass,” then, “Thanks,” when Jacqui hands her back the change. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jacqui smiles, and swears she sees Aria blush when she walks away.

 

Several days later, and Jacqui still hasn’t received any texts or calls from someone claiming to be Aria Joie. In fact, only Mako’s Apostolisian friend—“Friend is a strong word,” Cass says once with a smile—had been continuing to show up to the Constellation Cafe in the mornings. Jacqui finds they aren’t so bad, but obviously has a much more focused goal in mind, and that is to get to know Aria Joie.

There is also another unintended consequence to this grand scheme to try and get a date with a cute girl, and that is that Orth wants to keep her in the morning shift.

“Excuse me?” Jacqui says, incredulously. The two of them are standing in the back room, and in a rare turn of event, someone has cornered her for a change. 

“I don’t know what it is,” Orth says, arms crossed, looking just as baffled by the news as she is. “But daytime sales during your shift are up by fifteen percent.”

“Maybe you just had an extremely low bar?” Jacqui suggests. “Lazer Ted was in that spot before.”

Orth laughs at this. “Well, you aren’t wrong. I know you like the night shift for…reasons,” Orth shifts his weight from foot to foot, and Jacqui remembers that Orth used to actually work for the government at one point, “but you would be doing everyone a favor by working this new shift.”

The look on Orth’s face is earnest, but Jacqui is a hardened criminal, goddamnit, she can say no to her boss about _shift changes_.

And then Orth adds the real kicker.

“Really, the only interesting thing about the night shift is that Aria Joie keeps showing up, for some reason,” he says, offhandedly, like what he’s just said doesn’t matter _at all_.

“Wait, Aria Joie?” Jacqui stands up a little straighter. “The pop-star?”

“Yeah, Mako knows her. God only knows how. Usually she shows up during the morning shift, but maybe she just likes Ted.” Orth laughs. “That would somehow be a wilder truth than a pop star showing up to a Constellation Cafe every day.”

“I’ll take the morning shift,” Jacqui says quickly, before she can change her mind.

 

“So, the day shift is yours now?” Mako asks, trying to sound nonchalant but failing awfully.

“So, you’re friends with Aria Joie?” Jacqui replies in the same tone.

Mako laughs, washing his hands. “I’ll have to tell Aria you’re working the day shift now. She’s been asking about you.”

Jacqui slams her hand on the counter so hard it dents a little. “What?”

Again, Mako laughs. “She’s been asking about you? She’s been showing up here at night to try and catch you, but I didn’t know you had decided to expose yourself to daylight now.”

“Wh…” She has to take a moment to actually think about this. Aria Joie has been looking for her? “Then why hasn’t she texted me?”

Mako raises an eyebrow. “Does she have your number?”

“I gave it to her on a coffee cup several days ago.”

“Oh, I erased that.”

To his credit, Mako has never flinched in the face of Jacqui Green. But then again, he has never been in the face of a Jacqui Green that has been determined to get at least one date with Aria Joie. 

And boy, does he tremble now.

“I didn’t realize you were trying to give her your phone number!” Mako says in attempt of a defense, but Jacqui already has him backed into the corner with no way of escape. One hand is slammed in the wall next to him, cracking the plaster. “I thought it was just—I don’t know! I’m an idiot! Everyone knows this! Please don’t kill me.” 

It takes Jacqui a moment to realize she should tell him she’s not going to kill him. “I’m not going to kill you,” she says, quietly. “That would look bad.” 

As he exhales, his entire body relaxes. “Phew.”

“But you are going to tell her to show up this morning.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“ _Now_ , Mako.”

“Okay! Okay.” He pulls his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans—were they seriously electric green?—and sends off a quick text. “Done. Done! I swear.”

When Jacqui pulls her hand away from next to Mako’s head, there is a decidedly Jacqui-sized handprint in the wall. Mako looks at it, panicked, then snaps a picture of it quickly. “Aria’s gonna love this,” he mutters.

 

Aria literally runs into the coffee shop out of breath, flustered, red in the face but still looking gorgeous. Jacqui takes one look at her, then turns to Mako.

“I’m taking a five,” she says.

“What? It’s mid-morning rush!” Mako argues, grabbing the next cup in the line of several waiting to be made. But Jacqui glowers at him, and he shrinks some, and says, “Fine, fine, whatever.”

Aria’s eyes follow her as she steps out from behind the counter. Jacqui’s heart is in her fucking _throat,_ but she tries to keep her cool as she steps up to her. “Hey,” she says, trying to sound casual.

Aria beams up at her. “Hey yourself. I haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“I heard you started coming here at night,” Jacqui says nonchalantly, but with a slight smirk.

If possible, Aria goes even redder. “Well. Yes, I was. Did you really put a hole in the wall?”

Jacqui flexes, just to show off a little. Or, a lot. Definitely show off a lot. “Yeah,” she says with a smug smile.

They smile at each other for a brief moment, and then Jacqui says, “Do you want to go out sometime,” the same moment Aria says, “Wanna go see a movie tonight?”

They laugh together. “I’d love to,” Jacqui tells her. “I get off at five.”

“Great, I’ll be here to pick you up.”

 

They share a milkshake during the movie, and then Jacqui walks Aria back to her apartment. The sky is a classic navy blue, stars managing to shine through the city smog. Both of them drag their feet to make more time, and Jacqui hasn’t stopped smiling since Aria picked her up as soon as her shift ended. If she was correct, Aria hasn’t stopped smiling either. 

“Every time I think they can’t add something more to the Twilight Mirage series, they always do,” Aria says. “They always manage something else.”

“I’m just happy Signet and Polyphony ended up together, somehow.”

“Oh, true! Yes! And—and Tender, oh, I _love_ Tender Sky.”

“I wish they could decide whether she’s going to end up with Fourteen or Open Metal, though.”

“Right! I hope its Fourteen, I really hope so.”

They lapse into silence, still walking. Jacqui can’t tell if Aria’s fingers keep brushing hers accidentally, or on purpose. 

Then its over too soon.

“Well, this is it,” Aria says, stopping the two of them in front of a high rise that looks like it would raise past the clouds. “This is my apartment.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“I had a great time!” Aria blurts out, then seems bashful that she’s said this, and, god, she looks so _cute_. “I really did. I’d love to do it, again, if you want.”

“That would be…” There isn’t a word to describe how that makes Jacqui feel. “…Amazing.”

Aria’s face lights up, then she riffles through a back pocket. “Here, give me your number, I’ll text you.”

As Jacqui punches it in, careful not to crush the phone that is smaller than her hands, she says, “You know, I tried to give you my number the second time you came in.”

“What!”

“But Mako erased it from the coffee cup.”

Even when she scowls, Aria looks cute. “I can’t believe I could have gone on a date with you earlier, but Mako ruined it. I’m going to kill him.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m already on it,” Jacqui says, and Aria laughs. Not giggles, not chuckles, a full laugh from her belly through her windpipe. “So, text me, alright?”

“Of course.” For just a moment, Aria beams up at her, and then she says, “Now get down here so I can kiss you goodnight.”

Never one to deny a pretty lady, Jacqui swoops down and, heart hammering, kisses Aria Joie while on the doorstep. Fireworks go off, trees sing, pigs fly—all metaphorical, but if any of it had happened, neither would have noticed. When they pull back, they’re both grinning ear to ear.

 

(At their wedding, Mako will claim he set them up, which gets him a face full of cake andmicrophone privileges revoked).

 

**Author's Note:**

> title & lyrics from Just Like Heaven by The Cure


End file.
